Ethos, pathos and logos are the three categories of persuasive advertising techniques.

Each category invokes a different appeal between speaker and audience.

Ethos calls upon the ethics, or what we'd call the values, of the speaker. Pathos elicits emotions in the audience. Finally, logos puts logic into play by using evidence and facts.

Good persuasive advertising technique is when you balance all three.

But using ethos, pathos and logos in commercials sometimes means featuring one advertising technique prominently.

ETHOS DEFINITION

What is ethos?

It’s easier to make a decision when someone you respect signs off on it, right?

This is broadly the function of ethos in commercials.

When an esteemed public figure endorses a product, it validates it to the end consumer.

An ethos advertisement plays off the consumer’s respect for a given spokesperson.

Through that respect, the spokesperson appears convincing, authoritative and trustworthy enough to listen to. Of the types of persuasive techniques in advertising, ethos is best used to unlock trust.

USE OF eTHOS IN ADVERTISING

How is ethos being used in advertising?

So what does ethos mean?

It’s all about credibility. Famous people enjoy a high status in our society. So they’re the ones selling products to us -- whether or not they have product-specific expertise.

Ethos in advertising: Jennifer Aniston in a campaign for Glaceau Smart Water

For example, a recent Infiniti commercial featured Steph Curry. Even though he’s not known for his taste in vehicles, his stature validates the product.

This is ethos in commercials at work.

Ethos in commercials: Steph Curry in a recent spot for Infiniti.

Ethos rhetoric is also invoked to tie a brand to fundamental rights.

Brands build trust with their audience when they stand with an important cause. Anheuser-Busch illustrated this in their recent “Born the Hard Way” spot.

This ethos advertisement by Anheuser-Busch underscores the value of multiculturalism.

This spot focuses on the origin story of Anheuser-Busch’s founders.

It shows Busch’s turbulent immigration from Germany to St. Louis, and speaks to the importance of immigration and multiculturalism.

This is how ethos rhetoric is used in advertising.

Of the many types of persuasive advertising techniques in advertising, ethos is best for playing up the strength of a brand or spokesperson’s character.

The "PLAIN FOLKS" persuasive advertising technique

What "Plain Folks" means in advertising?

Ethos rhetoric often employs imagery of everyday, ordinary people.

Known as the Plain Folks persuasive advertising technique, in this approach a spokesperson or brand appears as an Average Joe to feel common and sensible. In doing so, they appear concerned and cut from the same cloth as you.

This approach is very common in political ads. Consider the “Family Strong” ad from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

EVERYTHING ABOUT Rhetorical appeals

PATHOS DEFINITION

What is pathos?

Stirring a viewers emotions is a powerful thing.

Emotions create responses and, in our increasingly consumer-driven culture, the response is to buy something. Pathos appeals to an audience’s basic emotions like joy, fear, and envy. All are easily triggered in many ways.

So what is pathos?

Well, it's a model enjoying a refreshing Coke. Or a frustrated infomercial character desperate for a better remedy. And "tired" of the "same old blah-blah-blah."

The many different pathos advertisement examples not only evoke your feelings but anticipate your responses too.

If you want to explore pathos in advertising, language is the best place to start.

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When browsing the many types of persuasive techniques in advertising, consider what your user needs from you. Then ideate on which technique can best fulfill that need.

As you’ve seen in these ethos, pathos and logos ads, the brand should guide how the persuasive advertising techniques are deployed.

What is the company known for? What does it stand for? Is it ripe for a revamping?

Hopefully you’ve found a few striking examples to inspire you. If so, create a free moodboard to capture the look and feel you’re going for. And be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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